1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper ejector unit and particularly to an improved mechanism which is configured to temporarily hold a paper inside the unit before ejecting it from an exit slot, and to retreat and recover the ejected paper from the exit slot under a certain condition.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a printer issuing printed paper sheets such as tickets, coupons, or receipts includes a paper ejector unit (presenter unit) to eject the printed paper sheets to outside.
Such a paper ejector unit is configured to print certain information on a paper such as a roll paper, cut the printed portion in a proper length and eject it from the exit slot to the outside. A problem with the unit arises when a tip (front end when transported forward) of the printed sheet protrudes from the exit slot before it is cut off. A user may mistakenly consider this completion of printing and pull the tip of the sheet out of the exit slot by force.
In view of solving the above problem, a prior art paper ejector unit is configured not to allow the tip end of the paper to protrude from the exit slot until printing and cutting are completed.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-123850 discloses such a paper ejector unit which temporarily retains a paper portion in a warped state until printing and cutting are completed. This can prevent a limitation to downsizing of the device by the size of the paper unlike retaining the paper in a spread state inside the device.
The device in the above document can be downsized by compactly retaining a paper portion in a warped state.
However, there still remains a problem with the above device which comprises a movable guide to switch opening/closing of a space to retain the warped portion and a paper path.
That is, during normal paper transport, the guide is switched to close to guide the paper to the path while, for temporarily retaining the paper in the space, it is switched to open to guide the paper to the space. Thus, the movable guide complicates the structure of the device.